“It really helps us all feel valued by the company. It definitely helps us be more competitive when we are hiring too,” Kraupa said.

It also pushes them to work harder, especially since the company is moving towards becoming employee owned.

“We don’t sell our stock on the market,” Andersons said. “We are a privately-held company, but we are going to start offering our employees stock.”

While some companies oppose a wage increase, citing the potential impact on operating cost, Chuck and Don’s says it’s looking at the big picture, and how its decision will help the company and its employees.

“We may not grow the bottom line as fast as we would or had anticipated, but again, we are doing the right thing,” he said.

Anderson says the company is expanding. They hope to open three more stores in the metro, as well as expand their stores in Denver.